


Capture This Moment

by Lowkey_Assgard



Category: British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Eventual Smut, MAIN CHARACTER IS GENDER NEUTRAL AND BADASS, Multi, OG SAYS NON-BINARY RIGHTS, PHOTOGRAPHER MEETS ACTOR, Photography, TOM RUNS A CAMPGROUND, TOM STILL WEARING NAVY SWEATER, soft shit, tom hiddleston - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 17:26:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22499770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lowkey_Assgard/pseuds/Lowkey_Assgard
Summary: Grey Anderson is a photographer in their last semester of college. They are assigned a final project to spend several weekends at a campground.Tom Hiddleston is a former actor who is forced to run his fathers campground. He gives tours and hikes for extra cash to make use of his developed knowledge of the wilderness.What will happen when their paths cross?
Relationships: Tom Hiddleston & Original Character(s), Tom Hiddleston & Reader, Tom Hiddleston/Original Character(s), Tom Hiddleston/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO. I am so excited for this fic. This is my first fic writing the main character as non-binary. If you aren’t sure what that means; it means that the main character uses they/ them pronouns hence my use of said pronouns. I hope y’all enjoy reading as I enjoyed writing.

If Grey Anderson had learned anything in their life it’s that every moment of the day was camera worthy. They carried their camera wherever they went for this purpose. Their favorite sound was the click of the camera. Life might be short but Grey would document every moment they could. 

Grey had a rough childhood growing up. Their parents were divorced and constantly moved around. They were never in one spot for long. Originally from the cold and wet Washington, Grey had lived in 12 different states by the time they were 18. All of them offering a new set of challenges. None of them feeling like home. 

Consumed and overwhelmed with this nomadic lifestyle; Grey started to take photos. Initially to document each new place they lived in but quickly turned into a passion. More then a passion. It was like an escape. 

Grey with their fingers on a cold silvery camera with their attention focused on the perfect shot was the one time Grey felt like they were in control. It was like time slowed down and they could actually breathe. The power of the camera was in their hands. 

When the opportunity arose to move to New York and study photography, Grey didn’t hesitate. Taking nothing but their clothes and camera they took a train from Boston to New York. Their parents were supportive but Grey knew their parents were just happy they were doing something with their life. Grey’s brother and sister were deadbeat and lived at home still. 

New York was nothing like Grey had ever experienced. It was crowded and noisy but beautiful nonetheless. New York was the definition of camera worthy. Grey could just spend hours on a bench taking photos of people as they walked by or birds as they flown above. Grey weekly took walks through Central Park. It was everything they loved and their passion for photography grew. 

It had been three years since Grey had left everything they knew behind. They were in their last semester of college and working part time at a café near their apartment. They lived with their best friend, Bentley, in the cheapest apartment they could afford with their combined savings. Life had been decent. Grey worked, studied, and went out on weekends. What more could they ask for? 

Things were going better than Grey had expected. Way better to be honest. The thing is Grey hadn’t always been Grey. They were born as Grace. Grace wasn’t bad but it wasn’t who they were. They weren’t into all the girly stuff society tried to force and the more Grey talked about it the more they realized that gender was a social concept. A social concept that could choke on their camera strap. Grey just wanted to be themself. No gender. No label. Just who ever they were and would become. 

After moving away from home and meeting Bentley, Grace became Grey. Grey was a nickname that Bentley gave them for the sole fact that they wore the same grey button up every day of the week. Just like their camera that grey button up brought them peace and security. So they wore it no matter if it was hot or cold or rainy or snowy. Would pair it with skirts, dresses, pants, whatever was in their closet. It wasn’t stylish but Grey didn’t care about fashion. Grey only cared about photography. 

Speaking of photography, Grey was late to the first day of class back from spring break. They had a ten am photography class and the time on their phone shown they were 15 minutes late. Grey was never late. They had woke up early but got in a heated discussion with Bentley over which Jonas Brother would make the best model. Silly but provided for a good laugh. 

Grey just prayed that the rest of the semester would fly by. 

Grey opened the door to the classroom and felt the eyes of their fellow classmates upon them. Late on the first day. So embarrassing. Grey adjusted their book bag and quickly took a seat at the back of the classroom. This was the last photography class Grey needed to graduate and they couldn’t wait for it to be over. 

Grey loved photography but the teacher was eccentric. Always assigned the weirdest projects that flared Grey’s anxiety. Grey liked to take photos of what they wanted not want they were required. Being required took the joy out of it. Especially when it wasn’t simple assignments like “take a photo of something that is blue.” But assignments like “ photograph something that reminds you of humanity”. It made Grey think and pushed them out of their boundaries. Which wasn’t a super bad thing but wasn’t want Grey wanted. 

Grey loved photography that was mindless. That was in the moment. That you could feel and love.

They had over month left of school and Grey knew that their big final project would be assigned today. They hoped it would be simple but knew better. 

“Earth to Grey?” Professor Alexander said from the front of the classroom. 

Grey jumped aware that they had spaced out. Late and now not paying attention. This is what happens when you go out for drinks on a Sunday. Grey whispered a grievance toward the universe for letting themselves get persuaded by Bentley to meet up with friends at midnight. 

“Sorry Professor. I’m just not all the way here today.” Grey apologetically said. 

“Clearly.” Professor Alexander said toward Grey before resuming his initial conversation with the entire class.

“As I was saying. For the big project all of you will spend the remainder of the semester at a campground. Any campground of your choosing. “

“Sir, what about are other classes?” The student near the front asked.

“Ah. Yes I do suppose you have other priorities. Most of you in this class are graduating this spring so I see no reason why you shouldn’t be able to do it all. But if you must question it. Alright. You must spend the remainder of the semester weekends at a campground. Or at least a better part of them.” 

“Why a campground and what will we do?” This time it was Grey that posed a question for the Professor. Grey had work and three other classes. Not difficult classes but there would be homework and tests for sure. Photography was their life but it couldn’t be their whole life. 

“A campground is more then just a place to camp. It is nature. It is life. It is beauty. It is adventure.”

A student began to interrupt the professor but Alexander waved his hand as to silence the student. “You will go and document everything you see. Everything that defines life and adventure. Be a part of nature. “

“And to make sure you don’t just go the last day and take fifty photos. You must have photos from morning, afternoon, evening, and night. Photos when it’s raining, clear, and cloudy. Must take photos of at least 20 people. Photos from all parts of day, weather, and demonstrate diversity. You have 6 weeks.” 

“Are we allowed to work together?” Grey heard someone ask.

God they hoped so. This project would be easier and more bearable if they could do it in groups. Walking around a campground by themselves sounded horrid and boring. Even with photography involved.

“No. Each of you must go to a different campground. You may take one person outside this class but no one can work together. I want to see your own personal experience with the exquisite campground. Class is dismissed but I have a list of campgrounds with me please come and select one before you leave.”

Has he lost his mind? An entire project over a campground. A campground? Grey had gone camping a few times as a kid but it wasn’t anything spectacular. At least nothing Grey remembered. Bentley for the last week had convinced Grey to go out to all these new clubs and Grey knew exactly how Bentley could repay them. 

Grey slid out of their seat and moved to the front of the classroom. They hadn’t gone camping in New York and had no clue what the options could even intel. 

“Ah. Mx. Anderson. You may pick but I think I have one that you would enjoy.” 

“Which is it sir? I really have no preference.” 

“Well. It’s this campground about 45 minutes away. Ran by a nice man and his boy. William Hiddleston and his boy Thomas. I heard you were big on scenery and this place would be perfect. Has this clearing that is opened up for miles.. “

“Sounds up by alley. What’s the name of it so I can sign my name by it?” 

“Tsk. This one isn’t on the list. I wanted to offer it to you before anyone else.” 

Grey found that a bit odd. This professor barely knew them and he was suggesting they go to a campground hand picked by them. Creepy but that clearing sounds amazing. Grey couldn’t pass this up. 

“I am in. I would love to see it.” 

Professor Alexander leaned over his desk and began to scribble on a sheet of paper. After a moment he ripped a section off and handed it to Grey. 

“I can’t wait to see what you find and capture.” He said with a smile. 

Grey took the paper from his hands and made their way out of the classroom. As they walked out they tried to read the scribbles on the paper. 

“Camp Capturious” read the paper followed by its address. 

Grey had never heard of it. Never even heard of the town it was in. Grey just hoped this wasn’t a plan by the professor to murder them. 

Grey quickly walked back to their apartment. Mind full of ideas for this project and anxiety over the location. Grey didn’t know what this campground would hold but knew that Bentley was for sure going. 

Grey knew this would be the opportunity to develop their portfolio to show clients once they graduated. As they walked they thought about what their mom would say when they told her. 

In their mom’s voice they thought. “Ya da ya da capture this moment Grey. “


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom Hiddleston never expected that he would spend the prime of his life working at his father’s campground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI I AM SO SORRY THAT IT TOOK ME MONTHS TO UPLOAD BUT I AM SO PROUD OF THIS CHAPTER AND I HOPE YALL WILL LIKE IT TOO.

Tom Hiddleston never expected that he would spend the prime of his life working at his father’s campground.

It is not that he didn’t like his father, or he didn’t like nature. He just didn’t like those things when they came as a packaged deal.

Working with his father was anxiety inducing and boring all at once. His father expected him to run the whole place while he soaked up the sun next to a pretty blonde. He was to keep up the maintenance all the cabins and trails. He had to keep the finances in order and greet all the guests. If something had to be done, he was expected to do it.

That wasn’t the anxiety inducing or the boring part.

The anxiety inducing part was that even though he was doing what his father asked of him he still wasn’t good enough. He wasn’t good enough prior to taking over the campground and he still wasn’t.

See originally Tom had pursued a career of acting. He always thought he was good. Decent even. In all his school performances he was applauded and praised. Even in university he was told he was unique and had raw talent.

After graduating from university Tom tried out for the role of a villain in this new play that was coming to Broadway. He thought he was perfect for it. He even perfectly fit the description that the casting company was asking for. He was average height, average weight, he had dark hair, and had previous training. There was no surprise when he was offered the role.

Tom thought his life was going to change with this role. And it did. Just not the way he was expecting.

The play was a huge successful. Tom spent a year in New York City performing to a new audience every night. He wanted to all the after parties and was praised by women and men. He had his fit of adventure in the spotlight. He was featured in articles as the great newcomer in the acting scene.

Everyone in his family thought he would make it big and when he didn’t everyone just began to pity Tom.

After the play run was over, Tom thought everyone would want him to be in their plays and productions. Those months following the only time is phone rang was for telemarketers.

To be honest he didn’t know what happened. He auditioned for roles but there was always someone better than him. Always someone more trained for the role. More fit.

With each no tom heard he lost a little more confidence in his acting skills. Until one day he went to an audition that he once again thought he was perfect for. He had the training and even the personal experience. The role was for a young adult that grew up with family issues that led him on this journey of self-discovery. That was the life that Tom was living right now.

Growing up Tom had lived a life that he thought most kids did. He lost his mom at an early age and his father drank her memory away. The only memory that Tom had with his mom is before she got sick she would go to his rehearsals and sit in the audience cheering the whole time. She was his biggest fan. Tom father on the other hand hated that he even thought about pursing acting. He thought that Tom should follow in his footsteps and become one with nature. His mom was dead, but his father might as well have been. He was never around.

Tom practically raised himself. Even when he was young his dad would spend all hours of sunlight in the nearby woods. He left in the morning with a can of soup on the table for Tom to eat and a list of chores to be done. At the age of 11 his dad had opened a new campground, Camp Capturious. His dad talked on and on about all his plans for this phase of not just his but their life. It was the most he had ever heard his dad talk to him. For the first time in a long time he thought he was going to have a life with his father.

For the first two weeks his father brought him along but started taking him less and less. Tom came home one day and there was a note saying his father would not return and a nanny would now be taking care of him. After that he threw his everything into acting in the hopes that one day he would get big and be able to leave his father behind.

That was it. That was the childhood he had and why he thought he was so perfect for the role. That was his last audition. The last no he could bear to hear.

His father had been asking him for a few months prior to that audition to move back home and help him take care of the campground. It wasn’t what he wanted; far from it. He was almost thirty and he had to do something with his life. That day he called his father up and he has spent everyday at this campground since.

He spent every morning feeding the birds. Every afternoon repairing and cleaning cabins. Every night sitting in his hammock with a flashlight looking over the finances. This was his whole life now and yet it still wasn’t enough. His father would still call and bitch down his throat about how he needed to do more for the family. Tom just had no clue what more he could do.

The boring part was that Tom did the same thing every single day. There hadn’t been much business due to the rainy season they were in. Tom loved meeting new people and getting to know them. It actually sadden him when the guests would leave the cabins because it was the only decent social interaction he got. He had company for a few days and then he was all by himself again. Just him, the birds, and the trees.

Don’t get him wrong the campground was beautiful. It was full of trees, bushes, animals, and a huge clearing with a giant lake in the middle. On days that Tom found himself lonesome he would take a chair, pen, and paper and sit down by the lake drawing the scenery and animals that surrounded him. Or he would lay in his hammock with his hat over his eyes just listening to the chirping of the birds and the wind that left him sleepy and relieved.

It had been a few weeks since he saw anyone come out to the campground. It was almost spring, and he was desperate to have the interaction of living beings that could actually talk back. He had received his father’s approval to start a new trail experience where twice a day he would take people through the woods he gotten quite familiar with. He would point out the unique trees and where the wildlife resided. It would be a way to make money and just something to do. His father said he had advertised to a few people and any moment he could get some customers.

Tom had a sneaky suspicion that his father was just on board in the hopes that he could find someone that would be interested in co-running the campground. His father wasn’t making much money from this place and was looking for someone to bear the cost of upkeeping. His father’s new wife joked that Tom might even find a woman that would overlook his nappy curly hair and baggy navy-blue jumper. Tom wasn’t much interested in a relationship. Its not like he didn’t want one, but they were just harder to maintain then the falling in cabins. He had enough on his plate and he doubt he would ever find a woman that could deal with all his issues. Women were just too complicated.

Speaking of women Tom swore that he heard a woman’s voice outside his cabin. He was lying on the couch avoiding the heat of the brutal sun. He had already finished all his midday responsibilities and was thinking about all the new things he could bring to the campground. It was extremely unlikely that anyone would be up hear with the dreary weather. It was probably just the wind.

Sure enough, there came the faintest knock at his door. Tom immediately jumped up and rushed to the door. When he pulled it open there stood two, he suspected, college age students.

“Hi, Is this Camp Capturious? I am terrible with instructions and not the slightest clue where we are.”

“Uh yeah. You’re in the right place. My name is Tom and I run this campground” Tom reached his hand out to the lady to shake. She did not shake his hand but instead looked toward the man standing beside her.

“YES. I TOLD YOU BENTLEY. I TOLD YOU I WOULD GET US TO THE RIGHT PLACE AND SAFELY.” The girl in front of him yelled and leaped where she stood.

“I’m sorry. My name is Grey, and this here is my friend Bentley. I was assigned a photography project to document the wildlife and scenery of a campground. Anyway, this one was highly recommended so yep here we are.”   
  


“Oh, are the two of you looking to rent one of the cabins?

“Cabins? Grey we must. Cabins are totally in style right now.” Tom heard Bentley say.

“Yeah. Sure, why not? We would need one for a few weeks, but we wouldn’t always be here. Is that alright?”

“How many weeks we talking? Maybe I can give you a bundle student discount deal.”

“About six weeks”

“SIX. I am sorry we have just never had anyone want to stay that long, but I am sure I can work something out.” Tom was just in shock. He really had never had someone want to stay that long.

“That would be perfect. We would come back starting this weekend.”

“Okay. I will just need you to fill out some paperwork.”

  
Tom went behind the counter to reach for the forms each guest had to fill out. Tom couldn’t help but think how attractive Grey was. He internally punched himself. She was a college student and she would want nothing from him.

He walked back out to stand in front of the counter. “Just fill these out and we can talk payment when you come back this weekend. Will give me time to sort some stuff out.”

“Alright.” Grey took the forms and flashed him a smile. Grey and Bentley turned around to promptly fill them out.

Tom watched the way Grey moved and held herself with such precision and delicacy. She had great posture and a great sense of style. She was wearing a button up and ripped jeans. It suited her nicely. She had hair barely to her shoulders and a choker fit loosely around her neck. She laughed at her friend and continued to fill the form out.   
  


A few minutes she walked back up to him and handed him the form back. “Alright. Nice to meet you Tom. See you this weekend.” Grey and Bentley left Tom alone in the cabin. He looked done at the form to see that Grey had crossed out the gender section and scribbled nonbinary and its place. Grey was nonbinary. Below it Grey had wrote “they/them pronouns please. “Tom would make himself remember that. He had never met anyone that identified as nonbinary but go them. Good for them for being who they are. At least one of them had the confidence.

Tom laid the form on the desk and looked back at the door they had just departed out of.

Tom was wrong.

They were a college student and they would want nothing to do with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are always appreciated

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is something I’ll be writing in my spare time therefore the upload schedule may be sporadic. I might upload every week or every two weeks. Just something to do for fun. If you enjoyed it please leave a kudos or comment. Until next time :)


End file.
